I am planning to get a laptop that I can use to play games. Mainly NS2. I was thinking about picking up an Alienware laptop probably a M11x. Any input would be appreciated.

if you want high endishness but don't care get an alienware. It's good for what it does but you can do better if you really want. Someone was telling me alienware fell off recently quality wise...

If you're going to put the money down for an alienware, I'd say go with an Origin Eon 15 instead. Great options on parts, great customer support, optional paint jobs.

Alienware was purchased by Dell awhile back, not quite as good as it used to be. Also, why not just... spend half the money you would on a laptop and build a new desktop.

Reason for a laptop is because I don't want to have a desktop taking up space when I have to go from base to base for my job. If I was still in college I would love to get a massive tower with plenty of space for upgrades and refit. I try to travel light so when I have to move I only have to pack a few boxes.

You pay alot for convenience, and not just in the physical price of the machine. I won't really try to talk you out of your decision if you've already made it. Just know whatever you buy you're stuck with for the life of the laptop, no upgrade options, and very few options for repair if it ever breaks. You'll probably wish you had a newer/better one within 2 years, and it will most likely end up breaking for good after 5.

Honestly desktops are not that hard to move around anymore. I move once every year to 2 years as well, never been much of an issue to pack up my desktop for the move.

Just think it over before you finally decide on one.

http://www.originpc.com/eon15-gaming-la ... atures.asp

*edit*
ok maybe i tried to talk you out of it a little, but here's a link anyway.

I know some people in the service here in the States, and Zoe is right, he needs a laptop.

The way the handle personal items is "whatever you can fit in your pack with all your service gear", and they have to move that pack all over the place all the time. A desktop is simply NOT an option for someone who's enlisted.

The Iraq war vets that work for Comcast told me that there's like 1 xbox 360 in every base, and whoever is getting shipped in buys it off the guy who had it last who is shipping out for $100. They're too bulky to move.

I wouldn't worry about brand so much as parts. For a gamer laptop, once you've got your graphics card, pretty much everything else is personal preference. Just about anything with a NVIDIA GTX 280+ or 9800+ will do. Sure, there's other things, like hard drive size and CPU requirements, but even the most basic newer laptop will cover all those. (Some of those with Solid State HD's are a tad small space-wise though.)

A good quality / future pain test, is if the laptop is fully XP compatible (even if it comes with Win7 by default - ask the manufacturer). This indicates a good selection of quality parts that use standardized drivers, and that the company that sold you the laptop didn't compromise quality nor get said parts from companies on the take. They'll be less likely to cause you pain if you need to upgrade the OS later, and will allow you to dual boot, or use linux, or what not, if need be, with minimal fuss.
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Thothie

Lol ya its like a swap meet. All the guys leaving try to pawn off their shit to the guys coming in to country.

I will probably go with the M11x because its small and I believe it will be able to run NS 2. I am still debating between the M11x an M15x. Size is the key point. I do not want to stick this thing in a plastic tub or duffel, I want it in my backpack so I can maintain positive control on it.

It will be awhile before I make the leap. All I have right now is a PO box, and don't know when I will get a address that a comp company will ship to.... I don't want to have it shipped to my house back in Cali then shipped out to where I am lol....

Here's a tech sites 14" and smaller laptop guide that they just wrote up the other day. might wanna check that out. Includes a review of the M11x.

thanks man.

Don't get too hung up about size, ZOE. (Yes, that's what she said...) I've been dragging a Toshiba Satellite P100 around since basic, and it's at least got a 17" screen. Taken it to Afghanistan and back, and I've never had a problem fitting it in a smallpack so I could keep it on me. Four years later, and the bastard can still run SC2.

What kind of a budget are you looking at?

2K mainly but may push it to 3K.